Girls Group at Grafton

Last Friday the Girls identity group took a day trip to the wilderness land that the school owns. It is near Grafton lake and the Grafton Peace Pagoda that I mentioned before. There were about 12 girls from 3rd grade to 8th grade, as well as myself and two other female teachers.

We met with Liz around 10:00 a.m. Liz is co-caretaker of the Free School Grafton land with her partner Dan. They live on a house there, take care of the land, and offer outdoor education. Liz was raring to go, and did not allow any time to dilly-dally. It took about 10 minutes to walk from her house to the teaching lodge located in the woods. We didn't actually use the teaching lodge, but it is an octagonal building with windows on all sides built by Free School students and teachers to use as a teaching space. Instead we used the fire pit next to the teaching lodge.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention, before we took off we circled up, introduced ourselves and each said something we were grateful for. I said I was grateful for my first north-eastern fall. It was hard not to be aware of the beautiful fall leaves and the crisp coldness of the approaching winter. Also along the way, we played a game called "Eagle Eye". Liz called out "Eagle Eye" while we were walking along the path when we weren't expecting it. She counted to 15 while not looking and we each had to try to camouflage ourselves in the surroundings. After 15 seconds she opened her eyes and called the names of any of the people she could see, and they came to where she was standing. Then everyone out of hiding counted another 5 seconds and anyone in hiding had to come closer to the counters in a new spot. I lasted the first round, but no one lasted the second.

So once at the fire pit, Liz taught us how to make a fire with natural means. We used a bow to start a coal, which we placed in a firestarter of highly flammable natural materials, then we placed it into a small teepee of twigs that we had gathered. It actually took a long time, but it was the first time that I had ever started a fire without matches or something similar.

After that we ate lunch, and then created jewelry out of the fibers of milkweed stalks. We also used a pumpkin shell to boil water and cook noodles, and we roasted the seeds on a sizzling rock that had been in the fire.

After that point the girls went and played in the woods and we cleaned up a bit and relaxed.

On the way back to the car we played Eagle Eye once more. This time I ran out as far as I could so that I still had time to come in during round two. I was the only one to survive past round two.

On the way to and from Grafton, the girls brought along the book Women who run with Wolves and we read stories to each other from it.

It was really great to get out into nature with the girls, and we were all really happy to learn wilderness skills. Sometime in the future (maybe in the spring) they would like to do an overnight out there.